Quick attachable and detachable core hole closing device and method of attaching same



y 3, 1969 G. c. EVANS 3,443,716

LE AND DET ACHABLE COR OLE CLOSING AND METHOD OF ATTA SAM Filed March 11, 19

QUICK ATTACHAB DEVICE United States Patent Olfice 3,443,716 Patented May 13, 1969 QUICK A'ITACHABLE AND DETACHABLE CORE HOLE CLOSING DEVICE AND METHOD OF AT- TACHING SAME Glenn C. Evans, 842 S. 16th St., Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 Filed May 11, 1967, Ser. No. 637,830 Int. Cl. B65d 39/12 U.S. Cl. 22024.5 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device and method for closing a core hole wherein resilient material is placed in the opening and compressed in its center by a pair of head members interconnected by an adjustable bolt whereby as said head members are moved towards each other the resilient material is expanded laterally outwardly against the inner peripheral edges of the opening thereby sealing it and forming an annular shoulder between the adjacent peripheral edge of said opening and one of said head members wherein the annular shoulder extends over the peripheral edge of said opening. When the device is removed the head members are spread apart and the resilient material returns to its natural shape and may be easily withdrawn from the opening. One of the head members is larger in diameter than the opening and thus forms a stop when inserting the unit into the opening.

Various devices are available for closing core holes in engine blocks, but all of them have numerous disadvantages. The expansion core plug of this invention may be freely inserted into the opening in the engine wall along its center longitudinal axis. A pair of head members are provided on opposite sides of a disk shaped resilient seal member and one of the head members functions as a stop element and engages the outer surface of the wall to position the plug exactly in the opening. The other head member is relatively smaller in diameter than the opening and thus may be compressed into the resilient seal member to expand the seal member laterally outwardly and also cause an annular shoulder to be formed on the seal member between an adjacent annular opening edge and the peripheral edge of the other head member. The seal element is then locked in the opening by the annular resilient shoulder and the first head member each bearing against opposite surfaces of the wall having the opening. A minimum of clamping action on the wall is contemplated and instead is intended that most of the sealing occurs by the lateral expansion of the seal element against the inner peripheral edges of the opening in the wall. The clamping of the core includes clamping the wall by the one head member and the resilient annular shoulder suificiently to prevent the core unit from being dislocated in the opening. The arcuate peripheral edges of the seal element facilitate the insertion into and the removal from the core holes, and the arcuate bead formed at the inner periphery of the core hole when the hole is sealed minimizes any interference of the seal with the movement of fluid within the engine block.

These and other features and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description when taken into consideration with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the expansion plug core unit;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the expansion core plug mounted in an opening;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the expansion core plus mounted in the opening but as seen from the opposite end of that shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2 showing the core unit initially positioned in the hole prior to the seal element being compressed; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the seal element compressed and expanded into its sealing position in the hole.

The core plug of this invention is referred to generally in FIG. 1 by the reference numeral 10 and includes a resilient seal plug 12 having a pair of head members 14 and 16 on opposite sides thereof interconnected by a bolt 18 extending through an opening 20 in the seal plug 12.

As best seen in FIG. 4, for example, the seal plug is circular in shape and has a diameter corresponding closely to the diameter of an opening 22 in an engine wall 24 such that it fits loosely therein. The thickness of the plug is preferably somewhat greater than the thickness of the wall 24. The peripheral edges 12A and 12B of plug 12 are arcuate in cross-sectional shape (FIG. 4) to facilitate the insertion and the removal of the plug 12 into and out of, respectively, the opening to be sealed. The head member 16 is washer-like in shape and flares outwardly from its axial center and is slightly greater in diameter than the wall opening 22 and thus a peripheral edge 26 is adapted to bear against the surface 28 around the opening in the wall 24 and accordingly limit the insertion of the unit 10 into the opening 22. The head 14 includes an annular convex peripheral edge 30' and is relatively smaller in diameter than the opening 22 and the diameter of the resilient plug 12 whereby when the seal element is compressed therebetween an annular shoulder 32 is formed between the adjacent peripheral edge of the head 14 and the adjacent annular edge of the opening 22. It is seen that the arcuate annular shoulder 32 extends laterally outwardly over the adjacent annular edge of the opening 22 in FIG. 5 and thus locks the seal member 12 in the opening 22 by the Wall 24 being locked between the resilient annular shoulder 32 and the head member 16 hearing against the opposite annular peripheral edge of the wall 24.

The head 14 includes a concentric shoulder 40 which is matingly received in the opening 20 of the seal element 12 and corresponds in diameter to an annular shoulder 42 extending inwardly from the opposite side of the seal element 12 in the opening 20 and carried on the inner end of a nut element 44 threadably secured to the bolt 18.

Thus it is seen that by the use of applicants simplified attachable and detachable core unit the unit may be easily manufactured and attached and detached from an opening in a wall. A minimum of space is required for inserting the plug into an opening since it is inserted straight into the opening and requires no internal anchoring means because as the resilient seal is expanded it forms its own anchoring means in the nature of the annular resilient shoulder 32. A perfect seal is provided in the opening 22 by the seal plug 12 as it is compressed and expanded laterally against the inner peripheral edges of the opening 22. When the heads 14 and 16 are drawn together the desired amount they will automatically have compressed the seal plug 12 the appropriate amount to seal the opening 22 and lock the plug in the opening.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my quick attachable and detachable core hole closing device and method of attaching same without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structrue or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In combination:

a wall having an opening,

a substantially solid sealing element throughout its diameter and thickness formed of resilient material positioned in said opening,

an adjustable in length expander unit secured to said sealing element for selectively compressing said sealing element,

said expander unit including a pair of head elements adjustably interconnected by adjustment means extending through said sealing element with the substantial portion of said sealing element being disposed between said pair of heads,

said sealing element being transversely expanded in said opening whereby as said expander unit is contracted said sealing element is compressed and expanded into sealing engagement against the inner edge of said opening and against said adjustment means,

one of said pair of heads being smaller in diameter than said sealing element and said wall opening and upon said sealing element being compressed between said pair of heads an annular peripheral sealing shoulder is formed on said sealing element between the adjacent annular edges of said one head and the opening, said annular shoulder being arcuate in crosssection and having a larger diameter than said opening and extending over and in engagement with the adjacent outer surface of said wall around said opening.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said adjustment means includes a bolt integrally secured to the inner side of said one head and having a threaded opposite end extending into close proximity of said other head, a cap nut positioned on the outer side of said other head and having a threaded sleeve extending therethrough for engagement with the threaded end of said bolt.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the other head is larger in diameter than said sealing element and said opening and said one head whereby said other head is adapted to engage the adjacent outer surface of said wall around said opening.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said pair of heads are circular and disk-like in shape and said opening and sealing element are circular in shape, with said sealing element having inner and outer peripheral edge portions that are arcuate in cross-section.

5. The structure of claim 3 wherein said one head is circular and disk-like in shape and has a convex outer peripheral edge.

6. The method of sealing an opening in a wall comprising, taking a resilient sealing element positioned between a pair of adjustably spaced apart heads and placing said sealing element in said opening, operating means for drawing said heads towards each other to compress said resilient sealing element therebetween and expand said sealing element laterally outwardly into engagement with the inner peripheral edge of said opening.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein other of said head elements has a diameter greater than said sealing element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner. 

